


It's a Wonderful Life

by TempestHeart



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Human, Brotherhood, Brothers, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gen, Human Gabriel, John Winchester's Bad Parenting, Lawyer Anna, Lawyer Castiel, Lawyer Gabriel, Lawyer Sam Winchester, Lawyers, M/M, Protective Dean Winchester, Protective Sam Winchester, Sibling Bonding, Siblings, lawyer AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-14
Updated: 2014-02-14
Packaged: 2018-01-12 09:35:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1184671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TempestHeart/pseuds/TempestHeart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam has not been home or in contact with his family in five years. Then his brother Dean calls and tells him that they have younger brother. Sam is determined to not leave Adam to their father.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's a Wonderful Life

**Author's Note:**

> Nothing really graphic, but this story alludes to alcoholism and emotional abuse.

When John Winchester opens the door, he stares in cold silence for a long while before brusquely uttering: “What are you doing here, boy?”

Sam almost rolls his eyes, but old fears resurfaces when standing face to face with his father. He straightens, reminds himself that he is no longer a scared and slightly chubby ten year old. He is almost thirty, a lawyer and a giant. He almost smiles at the thought, as it makes him miss his boyfriend even more. It has not been a day yet, but Sam already longs for Gabriel’s touch and soft affirmations. He is pulled out of his thoughts when he realizes that his father is about to close the door in his face. Sam moves forward quickly. “I’m here for my brothers.” 

It feels surreal. Saying brothers as in plural. It has always been Sam and Dean, but now there is Adam too. Sam would not have believed it, but Dean had called him. For the first time in five years, he heard his brother’s voice. Sam almost cried, and he did cry when Dean told him why he called. It was not an “I miss you” or “Please come home” or even an “I forgive you”. Dean told him that they had a brother. A brother who just had lost his mother and had been moved to a father he barely had seen and two brothers that he had never even known about. 

Sam makes up his mind when Gabriel gets home from work. Gabriel listens to Sam, and for the first time Sam gets the courage to tell his boyfriend about his dad. Gabriel knows that Sam has been disowned and cast out. But he does not know that Sam’s father is an alcoholic with a tendency for verbal abuse. When Sam says in no uncertain terms, that he wants to try and take custody over a younger brother that he has not met and that he understands if Gabriel wants to walk out before it gets messy – Gabriel just kisses him soundly and says that he is behind Sam, no matter what. Sam has no idea how he got so lucky. 

…

John makes a disbelieving sound but moves out of the way. Sam walks straight past him into the house and tries to ignore the stench of whiskey breath when he passes his father. Sam is willing to bet a lot of money that John has not been in the shop for a while and just left everything to Dean, going by his stench. 

Sam walks into the den, where he figures Dean and their little brother is. Dean rises from the couch as he sees his little brother. Sam is unsure of the protocol. Here are his brothers, one of whom he is not on speaking terms with, not really and one he has never met. 

“Hi Dean. Hi Adam.” Sam says and stands uselessly in the middle of the room, trying desperately not to fidget. Adam is a cute looking kid. He is sixteen and he looks like he shares a lot of genetic with Dean. He is blonde and his skin is fair, but he has that general air of awkwardness that Sam had himself when he was that age. So even if they look nothing alike, Sam thinks he and Adam shares a certain heritage. Sam worries though. Adam is thin and has purple bags under his eyes. He also tries to make himself smaller, tries not to be noticed. Sam recognizes that from his own childhood and shivers.

Dean is standing by the couch, looking as awkward as Sam is feeling. “Hi Sammy.” He says quietly. 

Adam is looking at Sam now and Sam smiles at him. Even if he hates being here, even if it makes his insides crawl – he is doing it for Adam. He wants to salvage one relationship with his family if he can. 

“So you’re my other brother?” Adam says, also standing up. 

Sam nods and moves forward to shake his hand. “I’m Sam, nice to finally meet you Adam.” 

Adam takes his hand and shakes it firmly. “Same.” He just says before releasing Sam’s hand. 

There is an awkward silence after that. Sam struggles to find something to say. “So… do you want to have lunch? My treat.” 

Adam nods and Dean shrugs, so Sam takes it as a good sign. “Okay, let’s take the car then. We can eat at the diner.” 

Neither Dean nor Adam protests so they leave the house in silence. They take Sam’s rental car to the diner. Adam looks unsure as Dean rattles of his order to the waitress. Sam smiles at him and tells him to order whatever he likes. It is not like Sam cannot afford it. His job pays well, and Gabriel’s pays even better. Their joint account is never empty, something Sam has yet to grow used to. 

When the waitress leaves them, there is an awkward silence again. Dean clears his throat.

“So… how’s life Sammy?” 

Sam smiles slightly at the peace offering. “It’s good. I took the bar six months ago and now I work at Gabe’s family’s firm.” 

Dean looks confused. “Who’s Gabe?” Adam follows the conversation with interest and his seems like he cannot stop himself from satisfying his curiosity. “You’re a lawyer?” 

Sam almost laughs as the two questions that come at the same time. “First of all, yes.” He says to Adam. “I’m a lawyer. Have been for six months now, so not that long.” Then he turns to Dean. “Gabe, or rather Gabriel is my partner.” 

Dean is silent then. They have treaded dangerously close to things they are not going to talk about. 

“So you’re gay?” Adam asks, completely oblivious to the silent agreement on Dean and Sam’s side. 

Sam does not think his sexuality is a topic for lunch but he decides to clear the air immediately. “No, I’m bisexual. Gabriel is my first boyfriend, I’ve mostly dated women before.” 

“I see.” Adam says and smiles. “So he’s a lawyer too?” 

Sam nods. “Yeah, he is. He is a partner at the firm where I work. His grandfather started it, and now Gabriel and his siblings run it.” 

Adam asks a couple of more questions about Sam and Gabriel and their work. Sam answers as honestly as he can, because he wants to be on Adam’s good side. From what he has gotten so far, Adam seems to be sweet kid. So far everything has only cemented Sam’s belief that he should fight for custody. When Adam excuses himself to go to the bathroom, Sam knows there is going to be a conversation on things they do not talk about. 

“So… you’re screwing your boss?” 

Dean is as tactful as ever, but Sam refuses to get upset. He knows Dean does it to get a rise out of him.

“No, Gabriel is not my boss. His brother Castiel is. We work in completely different departments.” 

Dean shakes his head. “Whatever.” Dean sighs. “What are you really doing here, Sam?” 

Sam looks at him, confused. “What do you mean?” 

“It’s been five years. You haven’t called or come home once.” 

Sam swallows and looks at the table. “I wasn’t welcome. You know that.” 

“As far as dad’s concerned you still aren’t.” Dean says harshly and Sam flinches. “So what changed?” 

“You called me.” Sam says. “You told me we have a brother. I guess it was my brother instincts. I had to come see him.” Sam pauses and looks at Dean. “Him. And you.” 

Dean stares back. “Bullshit. You walked out Sam. You left. You abandoned your family.”

Sam nodded. “I know. I did. And it’s been haunting me for five years. I know that I did what I needed, but…” Sam feels his tears gather at the corner of his eyes. “I never imagined that not only dad, but also you would shut me out.” 

Dean tries to look angry but Sam sees the walls crumbling. “I’m sorry Sammy. I’m really sorry. I just never understood why you left me.” 

Sam feels the exasperation totally taking him over. “It was never about leaving you, Dean! It was about following my dreams and dad not wanting me to!” He realizes he has raised his voice, so he lowers it. Sam looks bitter as he feels the first tears fall. Dean hugs him from across the table. Sam almost cries even more from the relief. He has not felt his brother against him for so long, Dean’s familiar smell is almost as comforting as Gabriel’s is. 

“Am I interrupting?” Adam says shyly. 

Sam and Dean pull away from each other and Sam smiles through his tears at Adam and shakes his head. “No, not at all.” 

There is no awkward silence then, because their food arrives. “So Adam, tell me more about you.” Sam says with a smile. His insides feel raw after what he and Dean talked about, but he also feels lighter. They have years of conflict to work through, but for the first time Sam thinks it might be entirely possible for him and Dean to reconcile. 

Adam tells Sam how much he loves school, how math and biology are his favorite subjects and that he wants to be a doctor someday. Sam realizes that Adam and he has more in common that he thought possible and they bond quickly. Dean does his best to keep up and be supportive and Sam cannot be happier. After the lunch he drives them both home and promises to come by tomorrow. He rents a hotel room downtown and then he calls Gabriel. 

“Sugar pie, I didn’t think you’d call today!” 

Sam blushes and rolls his eyes. Gabriel knows what a love and hate relationship Sam has to those silly nicknames.

“Hi Gabe.” Sam says and then he sighs. “I miss you.” 

“I miss you too, Sammy.” Gabriel says. “It’s very empty in our apartment without you. Especially in the bed.” Sam hears the suggestive edge, but he knows Gabriel is serious. “How’d it go?”

“Better than expected, I think.” Sam says. “Dean doesn’t seem to hate me as much as I thought he would and Adam seems to be a sweet kid.” 

Gabriel makes a small sound to let Sam know he is listening. “So, keeping up with the plans, then?” 

Sam nods, temporarily forgetting that Gabriel cannot see him. “Yeah. I’ll have to ask Adam of course first, but yeah. If he wants to, I’ll fight for custody.” 

“What about Dean?” Gabriel asks hesitantly. Gabriel knows that even mentioning Dean’s name is sometimes like releasing a bomb of depression and angst inside his boyfriend.

Sam sighs. “I don’t know. I probably should tell him at least. But first, I’ll talk to Adam about it.” 

“Yeah, you do that” Gabriel pauses as Sam hears the doorbell ring through the phone. “That’s Cas, I need to go Sammy. I love you and I’ll see you soon.” 

“Love you too, say hi to Cas from me.” Sam says. 

“Will do, bye.”

“Bye.” 

…

Sam spends a week with his siblings. He is very grateful to Castiel for granting him a week’s leave from work in the middle of the summer when they are already short staffed. He spends time with Adam, but also with Dean when he can get away from his job as a mechanic. Every day, Sam thinks about breaching the subject of custody. He honestly do not think leaving Adam with their dad is a viable solution. Adam wants to go to college and he has potential. John Winchester thinks that college is a waste of money and time and he says so at least ten times when Sam is within hearing range that week. He says a lot of other things too. Like how useless Sam is, how stupid he is to expect to just come home and be welcomed with open arms. Like how he betrayed his family by leaving the family business. Sam gets more and more stressed and anxious. He has Gabriel on speed dial and he is tempted to just leave it all behind him once again. But when he looks at his brothers, both of them, his resolve is strengthened. Sam observes his dad and Adam interact. He detects the same wariness he himself had whenever he had to talk to his father when he was younger. Sam swears internally and vows that his dad is not going to mess up another kid with his issues and alcohol abuse. 

John has gone to the bar, it is a late Saturday night and Sam has asked both of his brothers to just sit on the couch and hear him out without interruption. They both have agreed, but Sam knows the interruptions are going to come anyway.

Sam takes a deep breath. “Dad has always loved Dean best.” Neither Adam nor Dean says anything. Adam looks sad and Dean is just looking stone faced. “Until I was about seven I never understood why. But then he came home drunk one night and let it all slip. How mom sacrificed herself for me when the house caught on fire and if I hadn’t been there, she’d still be alive.” Dean’s stony face turns ever harder. He has never told Dean this. He knows Dean has always idolized their father. “He’s always been disappointed in me, because I never fit in. He has always thought Dean was a better son, and he kept telling me that. It got even worse when Dean got older and stopped coming home all the time. I wanted to go to school; dad thought I should join Dean in the family business.” Sam takes a deep breath. “When I got my acceptance letters from the colleges I had applied to, dad told me to choose. Family or future.” Sam chuckles humorlessly. “I’d guess he’d never thought I’d walk out on him. The last thing he told me then was to never come back.”  
Sam looks at Adam. “I came back for you.” Then he looks at Dean. “And you.” Sam fidgets with the cuffs on his shirt. “I’ve missed you Dean. And I wanted to see if Adam would be all right here.” 

Sam sighs and thinks it is best to get it over with. “Adam wants to go to college, and I don’t want him to have to make the same choice I did. I want him to feel comfortable with doing whatever he wants.” Sam takes a deep breath. “And I also don’t want him here with dad when dad is drunk off his ass and says anything he likes no matter how much it hurts.”

Dean is the first to break the no interruptions-rule. “What are you getting at with all this?” 

Sam takes a deep breath and looks at Adam. “With Adam’s permission, I will fight for getting custody over him until he turns eighteen.” 

Dean and Adam both looks gobsmacked. Dean explodes first. “You what?! Are you insane? Why would they give you custody over Adam?”

“I’m in a stable relationship, I can provide for him and I have looked up good schools that would accept Adam with a moment’s notice. I also have my own statement of dad’s bad parenting skills and how they might adversely affect Adam since he sooner or later might get put in the same situation I was. I’d like to think I have a pretty good case. Anna, Gabriel’s sister will help me too. She works a lot of custody cases.” Sam pauses. “This is all, only if Adam wants to. I’m not about to rock the boat without his permission. Plus, I would never get custody without him wanting me to. He is old enough to decide for himself.” Sam pauses again and looks at Adam. “No matter what you decide, I’ll always be there for you. If you choose to stay, I’ll still be only a phone call away. I’m not cutting anyone off anymore. No matter what dad says.” 

“I… I don’t know.” Adam says. 

Sam nods. “I understand. You barely know me, and your life has been turned upside down enough as it is. Think about it, for as long as you need to.” 

Adam excuses himself and goes to his room. Dean sits on the couch without saying anything for a long while. “Were you ever gonna tell me?” 

“That dad loves you more than me? That he hasn’t stopped telling me what a mess and failure I am since I was a kid?” Sam sighs. “No. You love dad. You and dad have a good relationship. I didn’t want to destroy that.” 

Dean hugs Sam hard. “Dammit Sammy.” He says. Nothing else. Sam is not sure what to make of it. “If you really think Adam is better off with you… I guess I’ll accept that. I don’t want him to get hurt just because he wants to do something dad doesn’t approve of.” 

Sam hugs back ever harder. “Thank you, Dean. Thank you.” 

“And Sam? Be honest with me in the future.” 

“I promise.” 

The bridges are being mended between them. Sam and Dean stay up all night, talking like they did when they were younger. Dean sees all the little things now that screamed of Sam’s discomfort when he still lived with them. Sam gets Dean’s point of view from when he left. They are re-forging their brotherly connections and both of them feels a lot better in the morning. 

…

“I wanna meet Gabriel.” That is not what Sam expects to hear the following day. 

“Um… why?” Sam is a little confused. 

Adam arches an eyebrow. “Because, if I do this and you get custody… he’ll be there too.” 

Sam admits Adam has a valid point. He calls Gabriel as soon as he can. 

“Sammy! You’re calling early, has something happened?” Gabriel’s worry colors his tone and Sam feels that warm tingly feeling he always gets when he realizes how much Gabriel cares for him. 

“How soon can you get to Kansas? Adam wants to meet you.” 

“Oh.” Sam thinks this is the first time he has heard Gabriel being unable to come up with something to say. He recovers fairly quickly, though. “Well, I’ll have to reschedule some things and call in a favor or two but… tomorrow evening?” 

Sam sighs in relief. “Yeah. Yeah. Thanks Gabe.” 

Sam can hear Gabriel’s smile over the phone. “No problem, Sasquatch. You know I’ll do anything for you.” 

They say their goodbyes and Sam’s spirits are higher than they have been ever since he rang the doorbell for the first time last week. 

“Gabriel will be here tomorrow.” Sam tells Adam. 

…

Sam has elected to get Gabriel at the airport without company. He is under no illusion that sparks will not fly when his older brother realizes that his boyfriend is twelve years Sam’s senior. But Sam loves him like he has never loved anyone before and Sam suspects there will never be anyone after him either. Sam thinks yet again of how he wants to propose to Gabe. He vows to pick up that ring he has been eyeing as soon as they get home to California. 

“Samster!” 

Sam turns around and just manages to catch his boyfriend as Gabriel jumps at him, locks his legs around Sam’s hips and kisses the living daylights out of him. Sam kisses back with equal fervor. Since he and Gabriel started dating, they have not been apart for more than five days before. Sam breathes in Gabriel’s familiar smell and he is just so happy to have him close again.

“Damn, I’ve missed you.” Gabriel says when he finally lets Sam breathe. 

Sam laughs. “I’ve missed you too, Gabe.” 

Gabriel picks up his luggage and holds on to Sam’s hand as they walk to the car. The silence is comforting and Gabriel’s smaller hand in his makes Sam smile wider than he has since he left home. 

Back at their hotel room they undress each other and love each other and Sam decision that he will not stall and buy that ring is even surer.

…

The next morning they pick up Adam and Dean for brunch. 

Sam is not too surprised to hear Dean’s first comment. “Uhm… you’re older than I thought.” 

Sam laughs quietly at Gabriel’s panicked look. He knows that there is a gray hair inspection in his future. Gabriel pouts when Sam laughs. “M’not old. I’m not even forty!” 

Sam snickers. “No, you’re just thirty nine.”

Gabriel sulks until they reach the diner and Sam bribes him with pancakes and strawberry syrup.

“So… how’d you two meet?” Adam asks shyly.

Gabriel smiles widely. “Well, I was doing a friend of mine – Crowley, a favor and did a guest lecture at Stanford and Sam stayed behind to ask me a few things and well…” Gabriel grabbed onto Sam’s hand. “I asked him out for coffee. The rest is, as they say, history.” 

“So how long have you been together?” Adam asks. Dean is too busy glaring at Gabriel for corrupting his younger brother to ask questions.

“Almost three years now.” Gabriel says with a soft smile. “Best damn years of my life.” 

Sam blushes at Gabriel’s last comment and shoves lightly at his boyfriend. Gabriel just grins back and winks. 

Gabriel is a talented conversationalist, so he redirects attention to Adam. They discuss Adam’s desires to become a doctor and Gabriel hands Adam the contact information of Samandriel, one of Gabriel’s many cousins. Samandriel is already in med school and can answer any questions Adam might have. 

While Gabriel and Adam are in a very serious discussion whether Ben Affleck might be a decent Batman, Sam and Dean are busy having a staring contest. Sam knows Dean will be bitchy about the fact that Gabriel is older and that they me while Sam was still in school. Dean has always had the worst big brother syndrome.  
Gabriel senses something, he suggests to Adam that they go down to the comic book store that Adam had talked about. Sam and Dean nod when Adam asks if it is okay for him to go with Gabriel. Sam thinks it is a good idea, since Adam wants to get to know Gabriel better. Plus, he thinks his youngest brother might ask questions about him too that he is hesitant to ask Sam himself. 

“Seriously, Sammy?” Dean hisses when they leave. “He is more than ten years older than you!” 

Sam rolls his eyes. “Yeah, I know. It’s not like he didn’t tell me on our first date.” 

“Is he… y’know…” Dean makes a vague motion and a distasteful face. “Making you…?”

Sam sighs. “Gabriel is nice to me. He cares about me. He doesn’t make me do anything. I love him. I’m gonna ask him to marry me.” Sam decides that all cards on the table is easier when dealing with Dean. 

Dean splutters. “Seriously?! Aren’t you too young to be married?”

Sam sighs even more. “ Yes, very seriously. And no… I’m twenty seven. Perfectly reasonable.” 

Dean is silent for a long while. “You sure about this, Sammy?”

Sam nods. “Yeah. I’m really happy with him. He’s the love of my life.” 

Dean grouses. “All right, all right. Enough with the chick-flick moments.” That is what he says, but he hugs Sam tightly afterwards. Sam could not hold back his broad smile even if he tried.

…

“Uhm… I’ve made my decision.” Adam approaches Sam and Gabriel three days after Gabriel’s arrival. 

They are back in the diner where they have been meeting since Gabriel arrived. Under no circumstances does Sam want Gabriel to meet his dad. Sam is afraid of what his dad might say to Gabriel or what he might do. 

“I wanna go with you, if you haven’t changed your minds.” He says. “I think it might be better for me in California.”

Sam smiles. “Of course. We’re gonna fight for you, Adam. I promise.” 

Adam smiles wider than Sam has ever seen him do. Sam is content that he has made the right decision. Gabriel smiles and kisses him. 

…

The custody battle is not so much of a battle as Sam had thought. Of course, John promises Sam that he will regret it until his dying day and that now Sam’s name is forever removed from the family. Sam cannot find it in him to care. Dean is talking to him again and Adam feels more and more like his brother every day. 

Anna brings in a ton of witnesses and calls in all favors she can think of. She assures Sam and Adam that the battle is already won before the judge’s decision, but they still hold their breath. The judge declares Sam to be the legal guardian of Adam. Sam and Adam hug each other hard when they hear the judge’s decision. Neither of them could really believe it before the words were spoken. Sam feels a weight he did not realize he was carrying lift from his shoulders. He has been more afraid to leave Adam with his dad than he has realized. 

Dean hugs them both hard too, gruffly telling them not to forget him and that they should all get Skype and call each other regularly. Sam smiles widely and does not even try to hide his tears of happiness, even if Dean calls him a girl. 

…

When they get back to California, Sam walks straight down to the jewelry shop and gets the ring he has been eyeing for months. With the help of Adam, he prepares a romantic dinner for him and Gabriel. Adam has decided to go and meet Samandriel and a couple of his friends for the night. 

When Gabriel comes home from work he kisses Sam deeply and eyes the dinner table. “What’s all this?”  
Sam just smiles mysteriously. They talk about nothing and everything and the time flies. Sam takes a deep breath and rises from his chair when there is a lull in their conversation. He slides down to the floor beside Gabriel’s chair. 

“Gabriel,” He says with a smile. “You’ve made me the happiest man alive. I’m so glad that you asked me out after that lecture, every day with you is amazing. Please be mine for the rest of our lives. Marry me?” He holds out the box with the gold band towards Gabriel. 

Gabriel has tears in his eyes. He slides down to the floor and hugs Sam really hard. “Yes,” He whispers in Sam’s ear. “Absolutely, yes.”

…

Sam thinks that his life is pretty amazing. He has an amazing husband and a great extended family. He is in contact with Dean again, and Dean is even thinking of moving out to California. Adam has really flourished since he moved in with Sam and Gabriel. He has graduated high school with highest honors and has been offered scholarships for several colleges. Sam could not be more proud. Sam also thinks he might never be happier than he is right now. That is until Gabriel comes home and asks him how he feels about getting kids of their own. Sam has thought about it, but never really thought it might happen. It does. 

Sam concludes that his life is pretty much perfect when he kisses his daughter and husband good night.


End file.
